Evidence and Uncertainty in Everett’s Multiverse

Bibliographic Data

ID8397136
AuthorsPaul Tappenden (0000-0001-8457-8413, corresponding author)
Year2011
Volume62
Issue1
Pages99-123
Publication date2011-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-0882 • E-ISSN: 1464-3537
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/bjps/axq006
OpenAlexW2164207011
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited25

How does it come about then, that great scientists such as Einstein, Schrödinger and De Broglie are nevertheless dissatisfied with the situation? Of course, all these objections are levelled not against the correctness of the formulae, but against their interpretation. [...] The lesson to be learned from what I have told of the origin of quantum mechanics is that probable refinements of mathematical methods will not suffice to produce a satisfactory theory, but that somewhere in our doctrine is hidden a concept, unjustified by experience, which we must eliminate to open up the road. (Born [1954], pp. 8, 11) It is truly surprising how little difference all this makes. Most physicists use quantum mechanics every day in their working lives without needing to worry about the fundamental problem of its interpretation. (Weinberg [1992], p. 66) I endorse the view that it may be of no relevance to the acceptability of the Everett interpretation of quantum mechanics as a physical theory whether or not an informed observer can be uncertain about the outcome of a quantum measurement prior to its having occurred. However, I suggest that the very possibility of post-measurement, pre-observation uncertainty has an essential role to play in both confirmation theory and decision theory in a branching universe. This is supported by arguments which do not appeal to van Fraassen’s Reflection Principle. 1. Dendritic Unitary Evolution 2. The Born–Vaidman Rule 3. Greaves on Uncertainty 4. Retroactive Counterfactual Uncertainty 5. Odds and Ends

Appeal · Counterfactual thinking · Counterintuitive · Einstein · Epistemology · Interpretation (philosophy) · Interpretations of quantum mechanics · Measurement problem · Minority interpretations of quantum mechanics · Observer (physics) · Physics · Quantum · Quantum mechanics · Rebuttal · Theoretical physics · Law · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science · Philosophy and Theoretical Science · Quantum Mechanics and Applications

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub